Day 4

We packed our bags at 5:30 AM on Day 4, groggy from a late night and pints on the town. Hurrying with our backpacks, suitcase and hand bags, we boarded the Underground to catch our 8:30 train to Glasgow.  The Underground was jam packed with commuters and felt quite hot after rushing about encumbered by luggage in the cool morning air. While we sweated over our bags, those around us somehow looked perfectly comfortable in jacketed suits as they read their newspapers and smartphones.

When we arrived at the train station, we had about half an hour to spare before boarding.  We grabbed surprisingly delectable baguette sandwiches at the train station before boarding.  Our ride was about 4 hours long and we both slept with our heads down on the table in front of our seats.  Although we were sad to be leaving London after only scratching the surface, we were thrilled to be on our way to Scotland.  As we rode through one small town to another, the scenery changed from spray painted stone walls by the railroad tracks to smaller towns, then to lush green farms and hills dotted by sheep.  

We didn't really know what to expect of Glasgow having hardly read up on the city.  As we got off of the train, we quickly realized that the look and feel of the locals was quite different.  The Scottish accents are really fun to listen to and there is a wide range of those whom we can totally understand and those whom we have no idea what they are saying.  We made our way by foot to our hotel, which was located about a 10 minute walk from the train station.  After we checked into the hotel and dropped our bags off, we set out about the town for a late lunch and adventures.

Glasgow was dark and had an industrial feel. Many locals struck us as considerably more gritty, though we saw all walks of life and had many interesting surprises.  As we walked by the brown, churning River Clyde on the way to the town square, we passed a wedding party leaving a church. The men in were dressed in traditional Scottish quilt suits and Carmen surreptitiously took their picture while pretending she was taking mine.  Along a main walking prominade, a woman with a mohawk beat a drum while singing in Gaelic. We saw a 15 year old dressed like Justin Bieber. We saw anther recently married couple having a photo shoot on the steps of the municipal library. They had a white umbrella, though there was no rain. Go figure.

We shared a few pints over lunch in the town square and then headed to the subway to journey to the trendier side of town.  The subway is a single loop. So easy. As soon as we got off of the subway, we noticed a quaint little side street with bars and strung lights above.  We walked past college students drinking at street side tables, then stumbled upon the University of Glasgow perched above the town.  What a pleasant surprise!  The University looks like something out of Harry Potter, with castle and church like buildings.  The sun was setting and the courtyards were empty as we explored the campus, talking photos and pausing to look out across the city landscape dotted with churches and towers. We wandered a bit more, exploring a church turned pub, then had an amazing Vietnamese meal on a little side street, then back to the hotel to rest up for our roots trip.